Automatic cigarette-feeding devices for cigarette-packaging machines



July 16, 1957 s. lNNOCENTl AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE-FEEDING DEVICES FORCIGARETTE-PACKAGING MACHINES Filed July 15, 1954 6 Sheets-Shem. 1

Jilly 16, 1957 s. INNOCENTI 2,799,413

AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE-FEEDING nsvxczs FOR CIGARETTE-PACKAGING MACHINESFiled July 15, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 51 "2 o v I o July 16, 1957 s.lNNOCENTl 2,799,413 1 AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE-FEEDING DEVICES FOR CIGARETTE-PACKAG ING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Shem 3 Filed July 15, v 1954 July16, 1957 s. INNOCENTI 2,799,413

. AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE-FEEDING DEVICES FOR CIGARETTE-PACKAGING MACHINES 6Sheets-Shem, 4

Filed July 15, 1954 s. INNOCENTI AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE-FEEDING DEVICES FORCIGARETTE-PACKAGING MACHINES July 16, 195 7 s Sheets-Sheet '5 Filed July15, 1954 2,799,413 AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE-FEEDING DEVICES FOR A July 16,1957 s' lNNOCENTl CIGARETTE-PACKAGING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheen 6 FiledJuly 15, 1.954

tates Patent Ofiice Patented July 16, 1957 AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE-FEEDINGDEVICES FOR CIGARETTE-PACKAGlNG MACHINES Scipione Innocenti, Bologna,Italy Application July 15, 1954, Serial No. 443,669 Claims priority,application Italy July 22, 1953 Claims. (Cl. 214-302) This inventionrelates to cigarette-feeding devices for cigarette-packaging machinesprovided with a feed hopper and aims to provide a comparatively simpledevice which is reliable in operation and permits of automaticallyfeeding to the feed hopper of the packaging machine the cigarettescontained in open-top boxes which have been filled at thecigarette-making machine and are automatically brought on to the feedhopper of the said cigarettepackaging machines and emptied thereunto.

According to the invention this end is attained by providing an open topand open sides holder for said opentop cigarette boxes which is mountedon a rockable arm adapted to shift said holder, while holding acigarette box, from an upright position (which term includes also aslightly inclined position) in which the charging and discharging of acigarette box therefrom takes place, into a capsized position, in whichthe cigarettes contained in the box are dropped into the feed hopper ofthe cigarettepackaging machine.

Further objects of the invention are to provide means for automaticallystepwise feeding said open-top cigarette boxes in upright-position untilthey come to be in line with said box holder in its upright position andthen inserting the aligned cigarette box into the holder, while pushingthereout an empty box still contained therein after a precedingemptying, means being also provided for carrying away said empty boxesafter their expulsion from said holder.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing specification.

With reference to the attached drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a cigarette-feeding device annexedto a cigarette-packaging machine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section. on line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the machine, viewed in the direction of arrowsIII-III of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections through a cigarette box holder which is shownrespectively in its upright and its capsized position.

Figs. 7 and 8 are external side views of the boxholder and annexed partsin positions corresponding to those shown in Figures 5 and 6,respectively.

Fig. 9 is a plan view, with parts in section, holder shown in Figure 8.

Fig. 10 shows the control cam of the main parts of the device.

Figs. 11 and 12 show the device for inserting the full cigarette boxesinto the holder and for discharging the empty boxes thereout, and

Fig. 13 shows in side elevation another embodiment of a device forstepwise feeding the cigarette boxes to the position in line with theupright holder.

With reference to the figures, 1 is a part of an automaticcigarette-packaging machine provided with a vertical feed hopper 2. Thecigarettes S delivered from the cigarettemaking machine are containedincollecting boxes C of the box which are opened at their top and at oneof their front sides (Figures 2 and 5).

In order to feed the cigarettes to be packaged into the feed hopper 2,the machine is provided with a rockable cigarette box holder 3 whichcapsizes one-by-one the boxes C filled with cigarettes onto said feedhopper 2 and then returns same in upright position. Said holder 3 is inthe form of a casing which is open at its top and at its side wallsthrough which a cigarette-collecting box C may be slid. Holder 3 isfastened to the end of arms 4 rockably mounted on to a horizontal shaft5 journalled in a part 6 of the machine frame. The weight of arms 4 andholder 3 are balanced by a counterweight 7. A motor and drive unit 8imparts to shaft 5 such a rock-. ing motion as to rock holder 3alternatively to two end positions (Figure 4), viz. an upright positionon the rear part of the packaging machine 1 (cigarette box-inserting anddischarging position, Figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7) and an upset or capsizedposition (cigarette box-emptying position, Figures 6 and 8). In itsupright position the holder 3 bears with its bottom on a cross piece 9,forming part of the machine frame and provided with rollers 10 whichproject in part into holder 3 through openings in its bottom (Fig. 5),while in its upset position holder 3 bears with its open top edge on themouth of feed hopper 2.

In the embodiment as shown, the essential parts of the. feeding deviceare controlled by a single cam 11 which is continuously rotated by motorand drive unit 8 and is provided with an annular cam groove in which aroller 112 is engaged, carried by a rocking lever 12 fulcrumed at 212 toa pivot carried by the machine frame. One arm of said lever 12' isoperatively connected through levers 13, 14, 15 and 16 with the controlshaft 5 of box holder 3 (Figs. 1,. 3 and 10) in such a manner as. to berocked thereby.

Holder 3 is provided at its interior with box-spacing and centeringmembers 17 and with slightly projecting parts 117 by its month, whichprevent of the boxes C dropping out of holder 3 by its capsizing.

Furthermore, in; proximity of the open top of holder 3 a pair ofopposite cigarette-holding plates 18 are fitted on small parallel shafts19 journalled to and projecting with one end out of said holders 3. Toeach of the projecting ends of shafts 19 an arm 20 is fitted, wherebythe arm ends are connected together by tension springs 21. To the end ofsaid arms 20 abutment rollers 22 are fitted so as to coact with camsurfaces 24 fitted on the machine frame, when the holder 3 is rocked toits upright position and to coact with abutment members 26 provided onhopper 2, when the said holder 3 is rocked to capsized position. Whenthe holder is near this end position, arms 20- are swung with theirspring anchoring ends over their shaft axes or centres and thus snap oneither side of the plane passing through said axes, into the positionsshown in Figures 7 and 8, whereby the cigarette-holding plates 18 arefastened at such an angle on shafts 19, with respect to arms 20 as to beswung into horizontal or cigarette-holding position (Figs. 5 and 7) whenthe holder is in its upright position and to be swung into vertical oropen position when the holder 3 is capsized (Figs. 6 and 8).

' The insertion of the cigarette boxes C into the holder 3 and theconsequent pushing of the empty boxes thereout are mechanically effectedby means of two automatic charging and discharging devices fitted onopposite sides of the upright holder 3.

The charging device comprises a pair of parallel substantiallyhorizontal chains 27 fitted at one side of holder 3, perpendicularly toits rocking shaft 5 and tensioned between two gear pairs 28 which aredriven stepwise position of the usual rocking holder 3 (not towards thecasing 3 by means of a pair of ratchet wheels 29 which are rotated bypawls 129 whose movement is controlled by a pair of levers 30 hinged torocking lever 12. r Chains 27 are connected by cross bars 31 formed insuch a manner as to each hold a cigarette box C. The movement of thechains 27 is so timed with regards to the rocking of box holder 3, thatat each return of this latter in its upright position, a box C on crossbar 9 comes to be in line with said holder 3.

A transversal chain 32 tensioned between pinions 34 is provided with afinger 33 which engages the boxes as soon as same are brought adjacentto the holder 3 and pushes same sidewise thereinto. This sidewisecharging movement of the boxes C is eased by the provision of rollers 10(Figures 1, 2 and upon which the boxes run. Each full box C, by beingpushed into the holder 3 pushes in its turn the empty box out of thesame holder 3.

The device for discharging the empty boxes C, after same have beenpushed out of holder 3, comprises a carriage 35 running on substantiallyhorizontal rails 36 (Figures 1, 2, 4 and 12) in a direction at rightangles to the axis of shaft 5, viz. parallel to box-feeding chains 27and arranged on the opposite side of holder 3. Carriage 35 isreciprocated by means of levers 37 and 41 (Figures 4 and 12) which areoperatively connected for example with the rocking lever 12. Thus whenan empty box is pushed out of holder 3, it is slid onto carriage 35which subsequently by running on rails 36 away from holder 3, pushes theempty box carried thereby beyond abutment members 42 provided on themachine frame (Figures 1 and 12) and which yields when engaged by a boxcarried by the carriage 35 while moving away from the upright holderposition, but are held back by the same abutment members 42 by thesuccessive return movement of the said carriage which returns empty toits starting position, ready to take up and carry away another empty boxexpelled out of holder 3.

According to another embodiment of box-charging device as shown inFigure 13, the device comprises a carriage 43 provided with a rack 143and rolling on rails 44, and which is provided at its upper part with anumber of clips 45 between which are inserted the cigarette boxes C. Therails are inclined towards the charging shown), at the side of which therails are fitted, and is advanced stepwise towards the said holder 3either by gravity or by the action of suitable means (springs,counterweights) under the control of an escapement pawl 46 co-actingwith said rack 143 and which is driven against the action The boxesmeans of When the of a spring 47 by rocking levers 48 and 49. arecharged into the holder as described, by abutment members 33 carried bychain 32. carriage reaches the end of its downward path (no more fullboxes thereon) it is pulled upwardly to its starting position by meansof handle 50 and is again loaded with cigarette boxes C.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a device has been provided bymeans of which the cigarettes are fed automatically into the hopper of acigarette-packaging machine. The operation of the whole device may besummarized as follows, reference being had to Figures 1 and 2, and 13:

The cigarettes to be fed are contained in open-top rectangular boxes Cwhich are fitted (by hand) on feed means (chains, 28 in Fig. 1 orcarriage 43 in Fig. 13) which are driven stepwise towards an endposition, in which they come to be in line with a box holder 3 inupright position, as will be better explained hereinafter.

Parallel to these feed means and spaced therefrom are rails 36 along oneend portion of which a discharge carriage 35 may be reciprocated by ashort distance, which substantially corresponds to the length of thesmall sides of the cigarette boxes. Between these feed and dischargemeans the said cigarette box holder 3 is mounted on arms fitted on arocking shaft 5 and which is rocked from said upright, or box-chargingand discharging position (Fig. l) to box-emptying position (Figs. 5 and6) in which the box holder 3 is capsized on the conventional feed hopper2 of the cigarette-packaging machine. When the holder is in uprightposition, a finger 43 (or other abutment means) carried by a positivelydriven endless chain 32 pushes (or by a member reciprocated in timedrelation with the other machine parts) sidewise a cigarette box C intothe holder 3, thus expelling onto the carriage 35 the empty box stillcontained in the holder 3. When the holder 3 has received a fullcigarette box, it is rocked to said capsized position, in which thecigarettes are allowed to drop into the feed hopper 2 of the packagingmachine.

All these operations, viz. (a) rocking of the box holder; (b) chargingand discharging the boxes into and from said holder and (0) operatingcigarette holding means and (d) bringing the full boxes in line with theupright holder and shifting the discharged empty boxes towards theirdischarge position are controlled in timed relation by cam 11.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the device according to theinvention may undergo numerous changes without departing from the basicprinciple of the invention. Thus for example the discharging devicecomprising the carriage 35 and annexed parts could be replaced by asimple chute or by an endless belt conveyor adapted to discharge theempty boxes into a suitable container; the box-shifting finger-carryingchain 32 could be driven, in timed relation to the other parts, eitherby the driving means of the cam or by a separate motor and step-downdrive; this same shifting device could be replaced by a reciprocatingmember driven by cam 11, and other equivalent arrangement, as will beapparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In an automatic feeding device for cigarette-packaging machinesprovided with a vertical feed hopper and to which the cigarettes are fedfrom open-top boxes; a shaft arranged in parallel relation to the mouthof said hopper; an arm fastened to said shaft; a cigarette box holder,open at its top and sides, fastened to said arm; means for rocking saidshaft so as to bring said box holder from a substantially uprightbox-receiving position to a position in which said box holder and boxtherein are capsized on the said feed hopper; means for bringing fullboxes in line with one side of said box holder; means fo receiving emptyboxes in line with the opposite side 01 said box holder; means forpushing the full boxes having reached the position in line with the boxholder thereinto, while expelling thereout the empty box which was heldtherein and means for discharging the said empty boxes, in which thefeeding of the cigarette boxes into said holder is accomplished by aconveyor on which said boxes are arranged vertically, means for stepwiseshifting said conveyor and continuously driven endless means fitted on apair of wheels and carrying at least a projecting finger in such aposition as to push sidewise the cigarette box which is aligned withsaid box holder from one side into said holder while expelling from theopposite holder side the empty box contained therein.

2. In an automatic feeding device for cigarettepackaging machinesprovided with a vertical feed hopper and to which the cigarettes are fedfrom open-top boxes; a shaft arranged in parallel relation to the mouthof said hopper; an arm fastened to said shaft; a cigarette box holder,openat its top and sides, fastened to said arm; means for rocking saidshaft so as to bring said box holder from a substantially uprightbox-receiving position to a position in which said box holder and boxtherein are capsized on the said feed hopper; means for bringing fullboxes in line with one side of said box holder; means for receivingempty boxes in line with the opposite side of said box holder; means forpushing the full boxes having reached the position in line with the boxholder thereinto, while expelling thereout the empty box which was heldtherein and means for discharging the said empty boxes, in which thefeeding of the cigarette boxes into said holder is accomplished by apair of substantially horizontal rails, a carriage provided with a rackpart adapted to run on said carriage; cigarette boxholding means on saidcarriage; positively driven pawl means engaging said rack part of saidcarriage and shifting same stepwise towards the upright cigarette holderposition and continuously driven endless means fitted on a pair ofwheels and carrying at least a projecting finger in such a position asto engage sidewise the cigarette box held by said cigarette box-holdingmeans on said carriage in the position in line with said rockablecigarette box holder and to push said box from one side into saidcigarette box holder while expelling from the opposite holder side theempty box contained therein.

3. In an automatic feeding device for cigarettepackaging machinesprovided with a vertical feed hopper and to which the cigarettes are fedfrom open-top boxes; a shaft arranged in parallel relation to the mouthof said hopper; an arm fastened to said shaft; a cigarette box holder,open at its top and sides, fastened to said arm; means for rocking saidshaft so as to bring said box holder from a substantially uprightbox-receiving position to a position in which said box holder and boxtherein are capsized on the said feed hopper; means for bringing fullboxes in line with one side of said box holder; means for receivingempty boxes in line with the opposite side of said box holder; means forpushing the full boxes having reached the position in line with the boxholder thereinto, while expelling thereout the empty box which was heldtherein and means for discharging the said empty boxes, in which themeans for discharging the said empty boxes comprises at the expellingside of said cigarette box holder a carriage mounted on rails; means forshifting said carriage from an empty box-taking position, in line withsaid box holder, while same is in charging or upright position, towardsthe cigarette box discharging position, so as to leave the space in linewith said box holder free; yielding abutment means acting so as topermit the empty boxes on said carriage being shifted towards theirdischarging position, but not in reverse direction and means forreturning the said carriage to charging position while leaving the emptybox which was laden thereon beyond said yielding abutment means.

4. An automatic feeding device for cigarette-packaging machines providedwith a frame and a substantially 6 vertical feed hopper to which thecigarettes are discharged from open-top boxes and comprising a cigarettebox holder mounted on arms fastened to a horizontal shaft and having anopen top and open sides, means for rocking said shaft so as to causesaid arms to be swung along vertical planes and to bring said holderfrom an upright, cigarette box-charging and discharging position to acapsized, cigarette-dropping position on said feed hopper; spring-urgedmeans on said box holder coacting with a part of said frame in proximityto the upright holder position, for substantially closing the top ofsaid holder when the same is in upright position; means on said feedhopper coacting with said spring-urged means on the box holder foropening the top of said box holder in proximity to its capsizedposition; box-supporting means advancing stepwise along substantiallyhorizontal paths parallel to said vertical arms-rocking planes forbringing said boxes, successively, in line with one of the open sides ofthe box holder while in upright position; means advancing in adirections at right angles to said box-supporting means and having meansprojecting in the path of the last box on said supporting means forshifting said box into the said box holder, which at that time is inline therewith, while expelling from the opposite holder side the boxwhich has been emptied by the preceding capsizing of the said holder;and means for carrying away said expelled empty box.

5. An automatic feeding device according to claim 4, in which the meansfor controlling the movements of swinging of said box-holding arms intimed relation with the other box advancing means comprises amotor-driven cam provided with an annular cam groove; a rocking leverprovided with a roller engaged by said annular cam groove; lever meansoperatively connecting said rocking lever with said box holder rockingshaft for alternatively rocking said box holder from said upright tosaid capsized position; and lever and pawl means operatively connectedto said rocking lever for engaging said cigarette box-advancing meansand causing the same to advance stepwise towards the position in linewith a side of the box holder in its upright position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,906,126 Mott Apr. 25, 1933 2,681,160 Molins et a1 June 15, 19542,701,071 Cavalieri Feb. 1, 1955

